The Impact of Technology on the Criminal Justice System

Technology is changing the way nearly every sector operates, and the criminal justice system is no exception. Law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional facilities are incorporating the latest criminal justice technology tools to:

• Ensure efficiency
• Improve accuracy
• Support decision-making
• Reduce human bias
• Reduce risk

Criminal justice technology has the potential to affect every part of the system, from investigation to case management. While they have fantastic benefits like those listed above, they also come with ethical and legal implications that can impact the civil liberties of people affected by the justice system. 

What is criminal justice technology?

Criminal justice technology can be thought of as any digital tool that can be used in a criminal justice setting. While these tools began as digital filing systems and computer dispatching systems, they now include the most cutting-edge developments such as predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and integrated data systems.

To implement them effectively, professionals need to have an understanding of the benefits and limitations of these tools, and they need to gain the strategic thinking, legal knowledge, and technical skills to implement them effectively.

Tech Developments Shaping the Justice System

Several technological developments are transforming criminal justice. These tools have specific applications that can come with great benefits, but it is also important to consider how to use them appropriately.

Surveillance Technologies

Surveillance technology is commonly used across all elements of law enforcement. Cameras, sensors, and biometric tools collect data in public spaces, as well as private areas where access is permitted. For example:

• Closed-circuit television (CCTV) and video analytics can assist in monitoring public areas, as well as provide evidence for investigations. Studies suggest that targeted surveillance can reduce certain property crimes.
• Facial recognition software allows agencies to match individuals to criminal databases. Research shows that cities with implemented facial recognition systems have seen reductions in violent crime.
• Automatic license plate readers (ALPRs) and body cameras provide continuous documentation of events, so that officers can save time on paperwork. Electronic monitoring through GPS is also used to monitor individuals on probation or parole, ensuring that these individuals are not taking a step backward in their progress.

Tools like these can improve response times, provide evidence, support investigations, and reduce time spent on tedious paperwork and filing. That said, they also require careful oversight, both to prevent misuse and protect individual privacy.

Cybersecurity Strategies

Criminal justice agencies are constantly handling sensitive data. Protecting this data from cyber threats is an essential responsibility. Agencies face ransomware attacks, data breaches, and other threats that can:

• Disrupt operations
• Compromise investigations
• Put individuals and their families in harm’s way
• Cause financial losses
• Erode public trust

Cloud-based evidence storage systems are becoming standard, as they allow agencies to maximize resources and ensure more security than physical storage. While these systems prevent theft of physical evidence or files, they are not invulnerable to cyberattacks. Digital forensics teams can pull digital information to investigate and respond to cybercrimes, as well as to collect evidence that is admissible in court.

Cybersecurity success requires both technical knowledge and operational procedures. Weak security can delay investigations and reduce public confidence in the justice system, so it is important to develop strong cybersecurity systems that protect sensitive and personal data from breaches.

Integrated Data Systems

Data integration enables criminal justice organizations to combine information from several sources to improve situational awareness and drive better decision-making. Systems like the NYPD’s Domain Awareness System merges data to create a centralized space with an abundance of relevant information and evidence, using data from:

• Cameras
• License plate readers
• 911 calls
• Arrest records
• Warrants

Integrated data systems can support the speed of investigations and improve resource deployment. However, these systems also create significant risks if data is poorly managed or shared without proper controls in place. It’s important for law enforcement agencies to use these resources carefully, and not cut corners or assume that correlation equals causality. 

Interagency data sharing can also help identify patterns and allocate resources more efficiently, but it requires consistent standards for privacy, accuracy, and interoperability.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics uses both historical and real-time data to predict criminal activity, risk, or incident trends. Predictive policing models analyze crime data, geographic patterns, and social networks to pinpoint areas where further police presence can prevent offenses.

Further, recidivism risk assessments are applied in pretrial, sentencing, and parole decisions to estimate the likelihood of an individual reoffending.

Predictive analytics can support decision-making and resource allocation. Be that as it may, reliance on historical data can reproduce existing biases in the criminal justice system, so law enforcement and homeland security professionals need to conduct their analysis carefully.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has a number of use cases that are applicable to the local, state, and federal levels of the criminal justice system, including investigations, analysis, and case management. For example:

• AI tools canbe used to support video monitoring, highlight unusual behavior, detecting weapons, and monitoring large expanses in real time.
• Natural language processing is used to summarize reports, transcribe interviews, and assist with documentation. AI tools can increase efficiency, but they must be carefully validated by human experts to ensure accuracy and fairness.
• AI is also applied in forensic analysis, including biometric identification, fingerprint recognition, and evidence pattern detection.
• Data analysis can be performed faster and more effectively with AI, analyzing large datasets to identify patterns more quickly than humans can.

As such, AI provides speed and analytical capabilities, but improper use or lack of oversight can lead to errors or biased outcomes.

Challenges for Integrating Emerging Technology in Criminal Justice

Implementing technology in criminal justice involves several challenges. These challenges need to be addressed to ensure modern tools are used both effectively and responsibly.

• Privacy and civil liberties are a concern, especially as they relate to widespread surveillance (e.g., license-plate readers, facial recognition). These technologies have sparked significant debates about privacy and civil liberties. 
• Algorithmic bias in AI systems can unintentionally reinforce human biases, leading to increased police scrutiny of marginalized groups and discriminatory results in risk assessments. 
• Transparency and accountability are necessary as well. AI and other systems can be opaque, which makes it difficult to review decisions or correct errors.
• Technical and operational limitations can reduce effectiveness. Poor data quality, incompatibility across systems, and insufficient staff training can lead to serious mistakes and exclude under-resourced jurisdictions.
• High costs and complexity can exclude under-resourced jurisdictions.
• Policy frameworks and legal oversight often fall behind technological advances, leaving practitioners facing ethical dilemmas. Clear regulations, standards, and procedures are a must in order to guide responsible adoption.

How Can a Master’s in Homeland Security Prepare You for the Future?

In order to apply emerging technology to criminal justice roles responsibly, professionals should consider a graduate education specifically designed to provide them with the knowledge and skills they need for effective and ethical technology integration.

Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines traditional homeland security approaches with emergency management, criminal justice, cybersecurity, and legal studies, the Pace University online MA in Homeland Security provides students with technical, operational, and leadership training. For example:

• Courses like Technology and Critical Infrastructure Protection and Intelligence Gathering Strategies for Homeland Security teach students to test, implement, and oversee technology as it relates to public safety.
• Leadership and ethical decision-making training prepares graduates to balance operational goals with legal and ethical responsibilities.
• Real-world exercises and scenarios provide experience in using integrated data systems, AI tools, and cybersecurity measures.
• Graduates also learn to adapt to threats and new technologies, which helps prepare them to make informed, evidence-based decisions in complicated scenarios.

A structured education provides knowledge, skills, and leadership training to implement criminal justice technology effectively, while also maintaining ethical and legal standards. 

About the Online MA in Homeland Security Program at Pace University

Designated one of the best online programs for criminal justice by U.S. News and World Report, the Pace University online MA in Homeland Security prepares students from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds to prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters both natural and manmade. 

Students benefit from a diverse group of faculty with real-world experience as well as a curriculum that aligns with the Center for Homeland Defense and Security University Agency and Partnership Initiative.

Sources

• Public Surveillance Cameras and Crime | Urban Institute
• Police Facial Recognition Applications and Violent Crime Control in U.S. Cities | ScienceDirect
• The Impact of Biometric Surveillance on Reducing Violent Crime: Strategies for Apprehending Criminals While Protecting the Innocent | Multidisciplinary Publishing Institute
• Cloud Storage Considerations for Police Digital Evidence | Police1
• What Is Digital Forensics? | IBM
• Protecting Sensitive and Personal Information from Ransomware-Caused Data Breaches
• NYPD Domain Awareness System (DAS) | Informs.org
• Predictive Policing Explained | Brennan Center for Justice
• Smart Justice? Making Sense of the Rise of Algorithm-Based Pre-trial Risk Assessment in Criminal Justice Through ‘Legal Models’ | Digital Society
• Report Artificial Intelligence and Law Enforcement: The Federal and State Landscape | National Conference of State Legislatures